As a member of legendary Seattle companies Pat Graney, D9 Dance Collective and Mark Haim Dance + Theater Kuehner is recognized as a leading PNW contemporary dancer. As part of the groundbreaking dance duo The Cherdonna and Lou Show, from 2008-2013 Kuehner and Ricky Mason created 5 evening-works developing thousands of adoring, intergenerational fans.

Drawing on Carl Sagan’s series Cosmos and female icons Kate Bush, Diane Keaton, and Marie Antoinette – Worth My Salt looks at the timely theme of gender inequity through the lens of an existential crisis. How do we prove our worth? How do we feel worthy? Cherdonna’s unique vision brings together dance and drag with clowning’s ability to tug on heartstrings, cabaret’s warm intimacy, and performances’ ability shatter taboos to make sharp social commentary.

Class will start with an easy warm up taken from Jody’s weekly class at Velocity. Once we are warm, everyone will make an “essence of you” solo using techniques from the Cherdonna process. The second part of class will be spent learning performance material from Worth My Salt. This class is for the intermediate or advanced dancer.

Cherdonna sits down post show with Mark Haim OCT 18 + Seattle theater celeb David Schmader OCT 25 in an open exchange with the audience.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

JODY KUEHNER,2010 Spotlight Award Winner, is part dance artist and part bio drag queen Cherdonna Shinatra. Jody’s choreography has been presented at On The Boards, Velocity Dance Center, Northwest Film Forum, Bumbershoot and the Joyce SoHo NYC. Cherdonna Shinatra performs regularly with DeLouRue Productions and periodically with paulanow productions and NARK Magazine. She and Lou Henry Hoover made work as “The Cherdonna and Lou Show” for five years, teaching, producing, performing. In her seventh year dancing for the Pat Graney Company and in her fifth year dancing with Mark Haim, Jody has also been Assistant to the Director for Dayna Hanson’s feature length film “Improvement Club” and Hanson’s Assistant Director for the most recent work “The Clay Duke”. She has performed with d9 Dance Collective, Wade Madsen, KT Niehoff, Laura Curry, and Amy O’Neal among others. She is Velocity’s Artist in Residence for 2014 and has been supported by the Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and 4Culture.

INSIGHTS

Drawing on Carl Sagan’s series Cosmos and female icons Kate Bush, Diane Keaton, and Marie Antoinette – Worth My Salt looks at the timely theme of gender inequity through the lens of an existential crisis. Read on and watch clips for more insights into Keuhner’s inspirations and influencers for her evening-length, world-premiere Worth my Salt.

Worth my Salt is made possible through Velocity’s Artist in Residence program, a 10 degrees Creative Residency and the support of Kuehner’s generous fall 2013 Hatchfund donors.

Worth my Salt is commissioned and produced by Velocity Dance Center as a part of the Made in Seattle dance development program with major support from The Glenn H. Kawasaki Foundation and generous support from The Boeing Company, 4Culture, Artist Trust, ArtsFund, The Office of Arts & Culture, The Seattle Foundation, Pacific Continental Bank, The Pruzan Foundation and the Morris Clitherow Family Fund and Media Sponsor KUOW.